


life imitates art

by steviesbucks



Series: rarepairs [1]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - No SHIELD (Marvel), Comfort No Hurt, F/M, Fluff, Rarepair
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-12 12:27:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29135547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/steviesbucks/pseuds/steviesbucks
Summary: “Just keep your eyes closed! Come on, you know I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”“That's not what I'm nervous about, Holden, I’m nervous about the fact it’s windy and this skirt is very light. How high up are we?”“High enough, I’m sure. Here, take my hand.”
Relationships: Agnes Kitsworth/Holden Radcliffe
Series: rarepairs [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2138124
Comments: 4
Kudos: 4





	life imitates art

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! Back at it again with the rarepairs, huh? I really don't know what overtook me when I wrote this, it just ended up on the page before I could stop myself because I'm a sucker for writing happy endings and the Framework arc still hurts months after originally watching it. Thank you as always to my lovely friends and betas [hazzarat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hazzarat) and [showzen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/showzen) who always inspire me! Go check them out if you'd like and I hope you enjoy.

“Just keep your eyes closed! Come on, you know I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”    
  
“That's not what I'm nervous about, Holden, I’m nervous about the fact it’s windy and this skirt is very light. How high up  _ are _ we?” 

“High enough, I’m sure. Here, take my hand.” 

She reached out and found his hand, linking their fingers together as he carefully led her up a few stairs. As he paused, Agnes did the same, taking in a slow breath. It was windy but she wasn’t particularly cold, wrapped up in both her shawl and her husband’s coat for the entire walk from the taxi to wherever they were now. 

“You can open your eyes, we’re here.”    
  
She peeled her eyes open, letting out a gasp and squeezing his fingers tighter. They were on a rooftop overlooking the rest of the city, lights illuminating them from below. there was a string of coloured lights on the raised edge of the roof, two lanterns carefully placed away from a pile of blankets. there was a pile of pillows and cushions of all sorts amongst the covers, settled so the two of them could sit comfortably on the roof of the building. Agnes then spotted two wicker baskets, much like the ones she had pointed out when they’d wandered past the market that he claimed she absolutely didn’t need. 

“You bought the baskets? When on earth did you find the time to do that- to do all of this?”    
  
Holden simply shook his head in response. “A magician never reveals his tricks, my dear. Go get comfortable, I'll sort the baskets.” 

She scoffed fondly but made her way over to the pile of blankets and pillows, arranging them so she could have a seat with her legs tucked under her. Agnes leaned over and grabbed the two lanterns, moving them carefully to settle on the edge. She turned her gaze to her husband as he grumbled, eventually settling on his own pile of pillows. 

“You alright over there, old man?” 

“Old man- we can’t all be spry and youthful like you, Agnes.” 

“I feel like you’re a bit too far away. Scooch up here?” She was only kidding but smiled when he started to try and move her way anyways. She got up and rearranged, ending up pressed against his side with her legs stretched out, one of them over his. “See? Much better.”    
  
Holden hummed his agreement, rummaging through one of the woven baskets and pulling out a bottle and two glasses, holding them up in triumph. “I got your favourite.” 

She grinned, pressing a kiss to his cheek as she took one of the glasses. “You really thought of everything, huh?”    
  
“Well, love, it’s not every day we can celebrate being married for twenty years.” He pulled out a corkscrew and uncorked the wine, pouring her glass first. 

“You know, if you’re being technical about it, I think we  _ can _ celebrate being married for twenty years every day after today.” 

“Brains and beauty? I’m a lucky man.”    
  
“ _ And _ brawn. You might be the luckiest man around.” She knocked her glass against his now full one, taking a sip.    
  
“I have no doubt that I’m the luckiest man in the world to end up with somebody as wonderful as you.” Holden kissed her cheek, taking a sip of his drink as the two of them sat there on the roof. 

Agnes had visited Paris for the first time with Holden when she was only twenty-three years old. It was the first place out of Australia that she had ever been and she spent hours upon hours walking through the streets, settling on benches and sketching, sitting in the Louvre and wondering just how somebody like her had ended up in a place like this. Of all the beauty within Paris, she didn’t care much for the Eiffel Tower. Strange, perhaps, but she felt more wonder at the food and the culture and the  _ life  _ of the city than what was usually the biggest tourist attraction there. Paris was alive, like any city in the world, and she wanted to tap into that life when she drew. It buzzed under her skin like an itch that couldn’t be scratched until she got it herself with her pencils. The picture that took her a whole week in Paris to finish sat, framed, on her desk at home. 

When Agnes was twenty-three, she didn’t really think that she would end up marrying Holden Radcliffe. She knew she liked him, of course, enough to run away to Paris with him. She hadn’t wanted to get married when she was younger, not until she realised just how much she loved being with him. As they jetted around the globe, she started to realise that as fun as all of this would have been on her own, having him with her made it all the better. They ate dinner in Rome and she listened to him give a grand speech on the future of medical prosthetics in Belgium. He asked her to marry him on the beach of Spain and by the time they touched down back in Australia two days later, she was ready to run to the registrar’s office. 

Their story didn’t start in Paris but it was special to them all the same. Paris was known as the city of love; she liked to think that their love was something that followed them around the places they visited. It settled in their house at home even though they weren’t there. It shone through in their daughter who looked just like her but had the same bright glow when she got an idea as her father. 

“How do you think Fifi is doing?” Her voice was light, still gazing over the city as she took a sip from her glass. 

“She’d be doing much worse if she heard you calling her fifi.” His voice was light and teasing, holding out a box that held pastries. 

Agnes pulled one out, holding it to his lips as he took a bite. “Well, she won’t hear me, so I’m sure she’ll survive.” She bit into the pastry, dusting off the light sprinkle of sugar now on her dress. “Am I a bad mum for enjoying some time that’s just for us?”   


“We’ve been living for seventeen years without it being just us- we’re allowed a break, Nessie.” 

“Yeah. Yeah, you’re absolutely right. It just feels  _ weird _ , I suppose. We’ve taken her with us on every holiday we’ve been on since she was born and now she’s just not here.”

“I doubt she’d want to come on our stroll down memory lane, my dear. I bet she’s happy to get some time with her friends.”    
  
Agnes nodded her agreement, happy to bask in the comfortable silence as the two of them ate, occasionally offering something to the other that was particularly nice. Eventually, Holden shifted a little next to her, digging through the basket. “This little picnic wasn’t even the present I wanted to give you, I have something else just- here.” 

He offered the box to her in his palm and she took it carefully, thumb running over the felt of the box. “I would’ve been happy enough with just the picnic- thank you, though.” 

“I saw these and I couldn't help myself.” His arms wrapped around her middle, squeezing her lightly as he dropped a kiss to her cheek. “Happy anniversary, my love.” 

“Happy anniversary, darling.” Agnes pressed a gentle kiss to his lips, pulling back slowly and turning her attention back to the box. She popped it open, marvelling at the pair of earrings inside. The diamond in the centre had delicate feather shapes branching off from it, all connected by gold bands with smaller, circular diamonds. She ran her fingers lightly over the metal, shaking her head in disbelief. “Holden, these must have been extortionate- they’re beautiful.” 

“I wanted to get something as pretty as you. Not quite as precious, though, no amount of diamonds could achieve that.” 

“You are  _ unbelievable _ , you know that? Absolutely unbelievable.” She turned to face him properly, a fond smile stuck on her face. Holden Radcliffe was an extraordinary man, one she never expected to meet, let alone fall in love with. She remembered hearing about a man winning awards for breakthroughs in prosthetic technology, thinking absentmindedly about how that man must be impressive. The fact she now got to call him her husband, her partner for life, the father of her child and the only man she would ever love again was the best surprise she’d ever received. 

“I take it you like the earrings?” He grinned and Agnes wanted nothing more than to kiss it off of his face, drag him down into the pile of blankets and pillows and stare at the stars for the rest of eternity (or at least until they both got too tired, falling asleep curled up together as they usually did). 

“Of course I like the earrings, I adore them. Thank you, really, so much. Your present is waiting for you back in the suite, I'll give it to you once we’re settled.”    
  
“Thank you in advance, Nessie, I’m sure i’ll love it.” 

She settled back against her husband, balancing the earring box on her lap as she grabbed a sandwich to tuck into. This was her life now. Her daughter was grown up and almost an adult herself. Too soon she’d fly the nest and the house and Agnes’ daily life would be back to how it was seventeen years ago- just her and Holden, happy together. Agnes would always be grateful for Ophelia and she would forever and always be her little girl as far as she was concerned. Sometimes she looked at her daughter and all she could see was those big, blue eyes of her infant daughter blinking up at her for her first time. She felt Holden take her hand and she remembered the first time he had done so as he led her carefully through a crowded bar, kept holding her hand as they talked and waited for a taxi in the humid Melbourne air, standing close enough to speak into her ear. 

As much as time changed things, Agnes knew her family would always stay the same. people may join (she made a mental note to ask about having Phi’s girlfriend over for dinner) and people may leave but they would always be together. Agnes knew that as long as they were together, they would always be happy, and that was all she ever wanted. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hello again! I hope you enjoyed this little ficlet and forgive me for having the kitscliffe daughter be called Ophelia, I couldn't help myself. Feel free to leave kudos, comment or come talk to me at docjemsimmons on tumblr! Have a lovely day <3


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